Review Summary: The closest thing to doing drugs other than doing drugs
I recently discovered Black Moth Super Rainbow, browsing through best of 2007 lists online, and seeing Dandelion Gum on several. I decided to give it a spin and downloaded a few tracks. I loaded them on to my ipod, layed in my bed, and started listening. The following few minutes were some of the strangest in my life. I was greeted by the opening keys of "Forever Heavy," and I remember feeling like I was literally floating through space. For awhile I wasn't entirely sure if I was asleep or awake, but I do know that I woke up the next morning with my headphones in, and within a few hours, I went to the cd store and picked up a copy.
I will say that the most notable part of the music on Dandelion Gum is the synth. The patches and filters they use are like nothing I've ever heard before. They usually have several layers in each song, and as a result create this sort of trance for the listener that you never want to end. I'll warn you, it's quite difficult to turn off a song when you're in the middle of it. It'll leave an empty feeling inside of you.
The vocals are another interesting part of Dandelion Gum. Tobacco, the singer for the band, uses a vocoder (I think) to change his voice into a very odd robot voice that shows up to sing abstract lines like "We wait in the summertime, we miss you in the summertime" or "Bring a sunrise, we have known, and find our way home." Interestingly enough though, the robot vocals fit the songs quite nicely and don't sound silly or pretentious, which is pretty difficult in itself.
The rhythym section of the band is pretty effective as well. The electronic drum beats aren't too much to write home about, but they fit the songs well and give the synth something to work with. It's the same situation for the bass really, but I will say that Sun Lips has a pretty excellent bassline. A lot of the bass work is difficult to hear though, as it is overpowered by vocals and synth.
All in all, Dandelion Gum is a pretty excellent buy for any fans of electronic and psychadelic music. It's got some of the most creative and original music I've ever heard, and I'm definitely planning to look into some of their older material as soon as I get the chance.
